SoftType Version 1.02 Release Information / Read Me file UPDATING YOUR VERSION OF SOFTTYPE --------------------------------- To update your version of SoftType with this download first UNZIP this file to a floppy. Next, run SoftType and choose the install server option to install your new servers (from the floppy you have just created). Enjoy! Version Change Description --------- ------------------------------------------------------ 1.00 Initial Release. Please also read Additional Information, below. The name of the destination server for Ventura Publisher screen fonts has been renamed from "GEM" to "Ventura Screen (GEM)". This server is used to create screen fonts for Ventura Publisher in the GEM environment. The name of the destination and source servers for ZSoft's OTL format have been renamed from "ZSoft OTL" to "ZSoft Outline". The PCL/HP LaserJet destination server has one additional option - PCL 5 Compression (only for LaserJet III): You can use this option to create compressed bitmap fonts (compressed fonts save a significant amount of disk space). Note, however, that these fonts cannot be used with other LaserJet printers (like a Series II). The ZSoft Outline source server now includes options for hinting. See the Source Server Options topic using SoftType's on-line help index for more information. There are now 63 typefaces included in your SoftType package. The additional typeface is Broadway/Normal. Because of trademark considerations a number of typeface names have changed. See the Reference section of your User's Manual for a graphic representation of the current typeface names. Version Change Description --------- ------------------------------------------------------ 1.01 2nd Product Release. Please also read Additional Information, below. The PostScript Destination Printer Server includes options to build PostScript Type 1 fonts and store them in a compressed format. Type 1 format is encoded, encrypted, and hinted, making the results noticeably better than the normal Type 3 format. Some printers that "simulate" the PostScript mode may not support the Type 1 format. The compressed format reduces the size of each font file by about half. Keep in mind that compressed Type 1 fonts can be read by Windows and Ventura Publisher PostScript drivers, however you cannot copy a file to a printer using these fonts. See your SoftType User's Manual for more. SoftType now uses less memory. In the previous release a baseline problem occurred when printing with Ventura Publisher in the GEM environment. This problem has been fixed. SoftType now correctly creates the files you need for use with Ventura Publisher (in the GEM environment) and a PostScript printer: - The PostScript printer fonts are created in the directory indicated in Ventura's Postscpt.cnf file. SoftType will create the directory if necessary. - VFM files no longer include the font path or extension. - The weight is no longer a part of the typeface name. In the previous release, SoftType sometimes had a problem when the window of another application was on top of it. This problem has been corrected. Version Change Description --------- ------------------------------------------------------ 1.02 3rd Product Release. Please also read Additional Information, below. The SoftType program and all servers have been updated to run faster and better than before. Three additional destination servers are included: - You use the Adobe Type Manager (PostScript Type 1) destination server to create fonts with Adobe Type Manager. SoftType creates the font and tells Adobe Type Manager (ATM) where it is located by editing your ATM.INI file -- ATM does the rest. You should make sure that the path for the Adobe Type Manager destination server is set to the location of your ATM.INI file (generally this file is in your Windows directory). To check the server's path choose Select Servers, highlight the Adobe Type Manager destination server, and click the options button. SoftType limits font styling capabilities based on ATM's limitations. You can create fonts with other styles (outline, shadow, and color) by changing the destination server to PostScript. Keep in mind that you must exit Windows before your new fonts are available. - You use the Nimbus Q destination server to create fonts for products that support the Nimbus Q version 2 format, notably Micrografx Designer version 3.0. The readable text file SoftType creates when you make Nimbus Q fonts is called URW.TXT. - You use the DeskJet Family destination server to create portrait fonts for the DeskJet, DeskJet Plus, and DeskJet 500 printers. SoftType does not support the creation of landscape fonts for the DeskJet Family because DeskJet printers support only fixed pitch landscape fonts. The readable text file SoftType creates when you make DeskJet fonts is called DJL.TXT. Since you must delete DeskJet fonts from the Windows Control Panel, the .TXT file still contains the names of the "deleted" fonts until you create new fonts. Keep in mind that DeskJet printers have limited memory for fonts. You can increase the number of fonts you can use with your DeskJet printer if you remove "special" characters from the .SYM file you use to create your fonts (see your Addendum for help on editing .SYM files). One additional source server has been added: - You use the PostScript Type 1 source server to use PostScript Type 1 fonts as typefaces in SoftType. The readable text file SoftType creates when you install PostScript Type 1 fonts as typefaces for SoftType is called PS1.TXT. You can apply any style characteristics to PostScript Type 1 fonts you create. You can use OTL fonts you create with SoftType with Corel Draw. You can now also create compressed or uncompressed fonts for the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet IIP printer with the HP/PCL LaserJet destination server. Only some of the style characteristics can be applied to ZSoft Outline fonts. SoftType now allows you to only apply suitable styles when you create ZSoft Outline fonts. If your selected destination server is ZSoft Outline the list of available styles in the Create dialog box includes only those styles that can be applied. If you attempt to edit a style from the Create dialog box, all style fields that do not apply to ZSoft OTL fonts are dimmed in the Style a Font dialog box. Additional Information ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Adobe Type Manager (ATM): Adobe Type Manager does not read Macintosh encoded Type 1 fonts. ATM also does not support font styles such as outline, shadow, and fonts other than black and white. If you want to create specially styled fonts, use SoftType's PostScript destination printer instead of SoftType's Adobe Type Manager destination server. Also, you can use SoftType's PostScript source server to create fonts from Macintosh PostScript typefaces. Windows 3.0 Real Mode: If you do not have a file called WIN87EM.EXE in your SoftType directory you may have a problem running SoftType in Windows real mode. You can try copying WIN87EM.DLL from the SYSTEM subdirectory of your Windows directory to your SoftType directory with the name WIN87EM.EXE. Windows font selection list: In some applications, like Corel Draw and Ami Professional, the list of fonts you can choose to print with is actually a list of available screen fonts. In these applications, all typefaces installed in SoftType appear as available printer fonts even though printer fonts may not have been created. (SoftType creates a screen font for each installed typeface so you can see a sample.) Keep in mind that a screen font cannot be printed without a corresponding printer font. Tandy computer: You may have a problem exporting more fonts than will fit on a single Tandy 360 K disk drive. Ventura Publisher (GEM) vs Windows printer fonts: If you want to create printer fonts (other than PostScript) for Ventura that include the extended characters (such as the registered trademark symbol and the copyright symbol) you must first manually select the symbol set called Ventura Publisher International for your destination server (you use the Select Servers command to change your symbol set). Keep in mind that if you select this symbol set you may want to delete the printer fonts SoftType automatically creates for use with Windows (they were built with the VP International symbol set instead of the Windows default symbol set). Microsoft Windows 2.* bug: If you choose multiple selections in a list box and one of your selections is the bottommost selection, and you then click in the white space below the last selection, Windows cannot correctly identify the bottommost selection. SoftType will not be able to take action on this selection and will display the name of your bottommost selection as random characters. PostScript: The PostScript drivers that come with Windows 2.10 and 2.11 have difficulty distinguishing different weights of the same typeface. They will always print the lightest and heaviest weight of a typeface no matter which weight you select in your application. To get around this problem, you can use different face abbreviations (dummy styles with different names) to distinguish the weights by producing different face-names for different weights. Micrografx PostScript driver: This PostScript driver cannot use the standard Windows font metrics files created by SoftType. If you want to use PostScript fonts created by SoftType with Micrografx products, install the standard PostScript driver which comes with Windows. ----------------------- DOWNLOADED VERSION 1.02